Jason Dunham Counts 2,521 AK-47s Seized

MANAMA, Bahrain -- The guided-missile destroyer USS Jason Dunham (DDG 109) seized an illicit weapons shipment found aboard a stateless skiff in the international waters of the Gulf of Aden, Aug. 28 now at counted 2,521 AK-47 automatic rifles.

GULF OF ADEN (Aug. 30, 2018) Sailors stack a cache of more than 1,000 AK-47 automatic rifles aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Jason Dunham (DDG 109). The ship's visit, board, search and seizure team seized the weapons from a skiff during a flag verification boarding as part of maritime security operations. Dunham is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of naval operations to ensure maritime stability and security in the Central Region, connecting the Mediterranean and the Pacific through the western Indian Ocean and three strategic choke points. (Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jonathan Clay)

Jason Dunham Counts 2,521 AK-47s Seized

GULF OF ADEN (Aug. 30, 2018) Sailors stack a cache of more than 1,000 AK-47 automatic rifles aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Jason Dunham (DDG 109). The ship's visit, board, search and seizure team seized the weapons from a skiff during a flag verification boarding as part of maritime security operations. Dunham is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of naval operations to ensure maritime stability and security in the Central Region, connecting the Mediterranean and the Pacific through the western Indian Ocean and three strategic choke points. (Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jonathan Clay)

The count follows an initial estimate of over 1,000 rifles. The skiff was determined to be stateless following a flag verification boarding, conducted in accordance with international law. The origin and intended destination of the skiff have not yet been determined.

“As a part of our counter-trafficking mission, we are actively involved in searching for illegal weapons shipments of all kinds,” said Vice Adm. Scott Stearney, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, U.S. 5th Fleet, and the Combined Maritime Forces. “Ensuring the free flow of commerce for legitimate traffic and countering malign actors at sea continue to be paramount to the U.S. Navy and its regional partners and allies.”

The seizure comes after four weapons seizures in 2015 and 2016 accomplished by Combined Maritime Forces and U.S. 5th Fleet assets.

The first seizure was by Royal Australian Navy's HMAS Melbourne Sept. 27, 2015, when it intercepted a dhow containing 75 anti-tank guided munitions, four tripods with associated equipment, four launch tubes, two launcher assembly units and three missile guidance sets.

The third seizure was by the French Navy destroyer FS Provence March 20, 2016, and yielded again almost 2,000 AK-47 assault rifles, 64 Dragunov sniper rifles, nine anti-tank missiles and six PK machine guns with bipods.

The fourth seizure was by U.S. Navy coastal patrol ship USS Sirocco (PC 6) operating as part of U.S. 5th Fleet March 28, 2016, when it intercepted a dhow containing 1,500 AK-47s, 200 RPG launchers and 21 .50 caliber machine guns.

The United Kingdom-based investigative organization Conflict Armament Research studied and linked three of the caches to weapons that plausibly derive from Iranian stockpiles.

Based on an analysis of all available information, including crew interviews, a review of onboard records and an examination of the arms aboard the vessel, the United States concluded that the arms from the four interdictions in 2015 and 2016 originated in Iran and were intended to be delivered to the Houthis in Yemen in contravention of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2216.

The U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations encompasses nearly 2.5 million square miles of water area and includes the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea and parts of the Indian Ocean. The region is comprised of 20 countries and includes three critical choke points at the Strait of Hormuz, the Suez Canal and the Strait of Bab-al-Mandeb at the southern tip of Yemen.